‘Chance to terminate pregnancy missed’ in miscarriage death case

The chairman of the clinical inquiry into the death of 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar revealed he would have ended her pregnancy when she showed initial signs of the fatal infection.

But the renowned UK professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, who headed the review on behalf of Ireland’s Health Service Executive, refused to state when he would have acted or if it would have saved the dentist’s life.

“It is very difficult. It’s overall clinical judgment. I wasn’t 
there to see how Savita was,” he said.

The professor said that had Mrs Halappanavar had four-hourly pulse rate and temperature checks which recorded a rise, more tests could have been ordered and possibilities discussed.

“Unfortunately none of this was done so I can’t really say when would have been the ideal time,” he said.

The review team highlighted a litany of failings at Galway University Hospital that made a significant contribution to her death.

The interpretation of Ireland’s strict abortions laws that only allows termination when there is a real and substantial risk to a woman’s life.

Staff did not adequately 
assess and monitor Savita as an infection took over her body and she was not offered all management options including termination.

Clinical guidelines relating to the prompt and effective management of sepsis were also not followed, which includes removing the infection source.

Mrs Halappanavar’s waters broke in the early hours of Monday and her condition deteriorated in the early hours of Wednesday.

Within hours she was in intensive care where she died four days later.

Her widower Praveen has maintained she repeatedly requested a termination but was refused because a foetal heartbeat was present.